Syracuse basketball potential landing spot for Duke 4-star PG transfer Jeremy Roach

ESPN says that Syracuse basketball is a potential destination for Duke senior point guard Jeremy Roach, who this week entered the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal as well.

I noted in a column on Wednesday night that the Orange coaching staff has recruiting ties to the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Roach through his former high school and AAU programs in the Washington, D.C., area.

In a piece by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, he writes that there are numerous schools linked as potential landing spots for Roach, such as Syracuse basketball, Villanova, Georgetown, Arkansas, Baylor and Ole Miss, among others.

College basketball insider Adam Zagoria said in a recent piece that possible leaders for Roach might include St. John’s, Kentucky and Arkansas. I’ve also read multiple reports regarding Villanova potentially making a serious run at Roach, who if he doesn’t stay in the 2024 NBA Draft would have one term of collegiate eligibility left.

Syracuse basketball is viewed as a possible landing spot for Duke’s Jeremy Roach.

In the 2023-24 season as a senior for the Blue Devils, Roach was named to the All-ACC third team. He helped lead Duke to a 27-9 overall record and a No. 9 final national ranking as the Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

As a senior, Roach averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, while connecting on 46.8 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3-point land and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line, per ESPN data.

When I wrote this article on Thursday, in national transfer ratings, both the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking and On3 had Roach as four stars, as well as 247Sports.

The On3 Industry Ranking placed him at No. 19 overall and No. 4 at point guard while On3 ranked Roach at No. 10 nationwide and No. 1 at point guard.

Within the 2020 recruiting cycle, he was a five-star, top-25 national prospect out of the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., and an excellent AAU program, the Washington-based Team Takeover in Nike's EYBL league.

Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was an assistant at St. Paul VI a while back. Additionally, both Autry and Orange assistant coach Brenden Straughn previously served as assistants with the Team Takeover program.

The current transfer-portal window opened on Monday, March 18, and it will run for 45 days. To date, at least six players from the ‘Cuse 2023-24 roster have hit the portal, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is moving on to the 2024 NBA Draft.

On the flip side, Syracuse basketball coaches have secured at least two commitments via the portal, one being a four-star transfer center and the other a four-star transfer forward, along with showing interest in other players in the portal, namely guards.